Starbucks Announces Reopening Date & It's Sooner Than You'd Think

As governors across the nation look to reopen, following the announcement of President Donald Trump’s three-phase reopening plan, Starbucks has also introduced its new plans to reopen stores amid the pandemic. In fact, the coffee mogul already has a date set for the gradual re-opening of their Starbucks stores: May 4.

On March 17, Starbucks began temporarily closing cafes and moving to drive-thru and delivery only. But in a letter published to Starbucks’ website on April 16, CEO Kevin Johnson wrote that they are “transitioning to a new phase that can be best described as ‘monitor and adapt’” and that they will “gradually expand and shift the customer experiences [they] enable at [their] stores.” Johnson’s examples include continuing some Starbucks stores as drive-thru only, utilizing delivery and mobile ordering at others for a more contactless pickup, and reopening others for to-go ordering.

Rossann Williams, EVP and president of U.S. company-operated business and Canada, published her own letter on the Starbucks website detailing when and how they’ll re-open stores, as well as how they plan to pay their employees.

“Beginning May 4, we will re-open as many stores as we can with modified operations and best in class safety measures, and intend for any partner who is healthy and well to come back to work,” Williams said. “We will make time the first week of May to reconnect as a team and welcome back our partners.”

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Starting today, we have temporarily closed our US and Canada in-store cafes, but select grocery and Drive Thru locations remain open. Starbucks Delivers on Uber Eats is also available in select markets.⁣ ⁣ We are doing everything we can to make the best decisions for our partners (employees) and our customers. ?For the latest updates, please visit the link in our bio.

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Mar 21, 2020 at 2:12pm PDT

According to Johnson, Starbucks tested a variety of service options in more than 300 stores across the U.S. over the last few weeks. These service options include contactless service, entryway pickup, curbside delivery and at-home delivery.

As for their partners, Williams said they will extend Service Pay through the end of May “with an additional $3 per hour for anyone who is healthy and choosing to work.” Those who have been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19 and those “navigating childcare challenges” will receive Catastrophe Pay; and partners whose stores closed — or will continue to stay closed during May — will also have Catastrophe Pay available to them.

If you plan on self-isolating beyond May 4th and don’t want to head over to your local Starbucks just yet, you can try some of these copycat recipes right at home.

Before you go, check out our slideshow:

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